Empty Nesters to Backyard Birders

When my husband and I became empty nesters earlier this year, our natural inclination was to take our backyard birds under our wing.

I asked my Dad to build us a platform feeder since he had done so for his own backyard. At my request, he painted it a bright red to add a cheerful splash of colour to the garden especially in the snowy, winter months.

As amateur birders, we began to read up on urban birdwatching and soon had created a custom seed blend that proved popular with the neighbourhood featured flocks.

There was something calming about watching the birds flock to our feeders.

As I sipped my tea and watched cardinals jockey for position on the feeders with finches and juncos, chickadees and nuthatches, I found joy in knowing we had brought this motley crew together under one roof with a few scattered handfuls of seed.